File Transfer Protocol Techniques

WS_FTP allows you to download or upload files between your local computer and any Internet-based web server.

Step 1 – getting into and setting up a Session Profile in WS_FTP

Upon opening the WS_FTP application, the first window that you see is the Session Profile window. This is where you can choose from a list of previously accessed FTP sites or choose to connect to a new one. Click the New button to establish your own profile for uploading your web pages to the SJFC server. The parameters you saw in the WS_FTP fields will be cleared out. Enter the information as indicated in the image below (using your name for the Profile Name; please wait to fill in to the Password field):

After the Password has been entered, click the Ok button. You will be taken through a quick login process and then will notice an active “session” with the SJFC web server open in the right window pane (Remote session).

Step 2 – navigating to the right paths and drives in WS_FTP

After the automated login is complete, you can transfer (copy) files to the “connected” computer (in this case – a web server). You will see by the next image that your Local System on the left side of the WS_FTP window is pointing at your computer’s hard drive (your exact hard drive path may look different) The Remote System on the right side is pointing to the /students/napoli account on the SJFC web server.

What do we need to do from once an FTP session is opened (two computers are connected)?

  • We want to copy web page files off of our local zip disk(or f:\ drive if you are copying web pages from a “thumb” drive or “flash” drive) to a remote destination (a web server)

First, the Remote System:

The web pages we are going to transfer need to be located on SJFC web server space so that the world can view them in a browser window. Therefore, double-click on the public_html folder to open it. This will position any files you upload to be available for public viewing because placing files in the public_html folder makes them viewable to the “world” via any Internet browser.

After opening the public_html folder, STOP. Do nothing else on the Remote side of the open and active FTP session window. The path at the top of the Remote side of the FTP session window will look something like: youraccount/public_html

Now let’s get our Local System to view the folder that contains the web page files you have on your zip disk:

On the left side of your window, double-click on the ChgDir button. You will see a small window pop up:

Type in d: (for zip drive) and click the Ok button. This will change your directory to the zip disk drive and display the folders and/or files you have on the zip disk.

Now you are in a position to copy the web page files from your Local System d:\ disk drive to the SJFC Remote System web server under your own directory name.

Step 3 – copying files from your Local System to the Remote System

Click the Auto box setting in your WS_FTP program to indicate that you will be transferring many files at one time (web pages go as ASCII, images go as Binary, Auto sends all the files in your unitplan folder up as they should go – ASCII or Binary).

To upload a folder, which includes all of the files and images within the folder, from your Local System, click-left 1x on your XXX9999 folder on the Local System side to select it and prepare to copy it. Next, click on the arrow pointing right (or toward to Remote System side of the window.

Observe as the files transfer from the Local System side (left side) of the WS_FTPLE window to the Remote System side (right side) and into the public_html folder.

That’s all there is to it. NOW – whenever changes are made “locally” to your web pages or images on your zip disk (design and development), be sure to go through the ftp process of publishing your revisions by copying your XXX9999 folder from your Local System (zip disk) to your SJFC web server account (Remote System) using the WS_FTPLE communications tool.

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